


Please Don't Die

by manymessyfandoms



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anxiety, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 03:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18652159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manymessyfandoms/pseuds/manymessyfandoms
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERSA fix-it to Endgame based on a prompt request!Request:About the irondad prompt (and yes, we absolutely need this after EG...), what do you think of Peter, while assisting Tony in the lab, being unintentionally soothed by Tony singing under his breath? It acts as a lullaby and when Tony notices Peter blinking sleepily and hunching down further in his stool, he purposefully keeps going. And then he carries the kid to tuck him in, all while still singing softly. Andrea Boceli comes to mind bc it reminds me of my Mom, hehe.





	Please Don't Die

The nightmares would not stop. Images of Tony sitting with lifeless eyes would haunt him in his sleep relentlessly, so much so that his body simply rejects sleep all together now. It had been weeks of only maybe one or two hours a night of sleep.

Peter hadn’t realized just bad it was until one day when he was working in the lab with Tony.

“Mr. Stark?”

“Yeah, kiddo?” Tony answered as he was working on his Iron Man suit. 

Peter was about to answer when the song changed and Tony immediately smiled and started singing under his breath. 

The sound made Peter freeze, and his body instantly warmed. He felt calmer than he had in weeks as Tony’s soft voice flooded his ears, the sound so full of life.

Peter’s legs started feeling weak and his eyes heavy. He didn’t remember passing out, but the next thing he knew he was laying on the ground with Tony staring at him concernedly. 

“Pete? Peter, are you okay? What’s going on, bud?” Tony’s said in a panic.

Peter sat up groggily. “Yeah. ‘M sorry, Mr. Stark.” He rubbed his eyes.

“What are you- Peter, what just happened?” When Peter didn’t reply, Tony tried a different method. “FRIDAY, what’s been going on?”

“No, wait-”

FRIDAY cut Peter off. “Mr. Parker has not been sleeping. He’s gotten 6.5 hours in the past week and has not been eating well. Also, his heart rate has consistently been above average.”

Peter closed his eyes, feeling vulnerable. “Mr. Stark, I- I”

“Peter, what the hell is going on? Why is your anxiety this bad? Why haven’t you come to me?” Tony looked hurt, and Peter’s eyes immediately started welling up.

“I’m so scared, Tony,” he cried. “I’m so scared all the time. I can’t stop seeing you in my head, laying there basically dead. I can’t lose you. You can’t die. I need you, please don’t go, please-” He was crying too hard to finish, and Tony immediately hugged him to his chest.

“Shh, Pete, it’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” he said quietly, but Peter kept sobbing, his exhaustion muddling his mind. 

Peter didn’t know how long he was crying for before Tony started softly singing under his breath, causing his sobs to stutter. He struggled to catch his breath, but Tony’s singing calmed his racing heart and slowed his tears. After about five minutes of listening to Tony’s soothing voice and feeling his fingers brush through his curls, Peter finally succumbed to sleep.

 

Tony cradled Peter’s unconscious body for a few minutes, watching his young face sleep peacefully. 

He didn’t understand what was happening, but then again, the more he thought about it, the more he understood. He thought back to that time after Thanos dusted Peter. He thought of his own nightmares he faced nightly, and the horrors his mind threw at him. Tony shuddered.

He looked at Peter’s face, looking younger than anyone with his trauma should be, before scooping him up to carry him to his room, still humming under his breath.

The next morning Tony woke up on the chair next to Peter’s bed, and only minutes later, Peter was stretching awake as well.

“Mr. Stark...?” Peter tiredly mumbled out.

“I’m here, Petey. Why didn’t you tell me you were having trouble sleeping?”

Peter looked down and swallowed hard. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want to think about it when I was awake, but then it got bad and I didn’t know what to do and-” Tony cut him off when tears fell from his eyes.

“Pete, you know you can talk to me. You also know I’m still alive and kicking it.” Peter cracked the smallest of smiles and Tony considered it a victory. “You know I’m here. For whatever you need, whenever you need it. Okay? Always.”

Peter nodded with watery eyes. “Just- please don’t die, Tony. Please.”

Tony knew he couldn’t promise that, but he also knew that Peter knew he couldn’t promise him. He just wanted the comfort of the words, and Tony was more than willing to give him that. 

“Peter Parker. I promise you on this day that I will not die. Ever. I’m not even going to die when I’m Cap’s age in like 300 years.”

Peter giggled and Tony felt lighter. “Captain America is not that old, you drama queen.”

“No, no, he’s ancient, Peter. An old relic.”

Peter grinned at him for a moment before his smile faded. “Sorry I freaked out.”

“Peter,” Tony said with a cracking heart. “Do not apologize for that. You never need to apologize for feeling. You were scared, Pete. I want to help you because you don’t need to be scared. I’m right here. I’m always going to be right here for you. Understand?” Peter nodded. “Good.”

After that incident, Tony got better and being able to tell whenever Peter was going to start to panic, and he also had a way to help him stop his panic attacks before they begin. 

He saw Peter tense and then stare off from across the room, and Tony immediately started singing the Andrea Bocelli song that was softly playing the the background. 

After a few moments of Tony’s singing filling the room, he saw Peter relax and his eyes droop, which made Tony curse under his breath. Most of the time, Tony’s singing calms Peter down, but when Peter hasn’t been sleeping well it acts as an anesthesia, making Peter so sleepy he can barely keep his eyes opened.

Tony paused his song to ask, “Didn’t sleep well?”

Peter nodded a little and Tony walked over and gave him a hug. He continued singing and Peter slumped into him sleepily. “You can rest now, Pete,” he whispered and kept humming the song.

Peter instantly fell asleep in Tony’s embrace, and Tony swept him up to carry him to his room. Tony set Peter on his bed and sat in his usual chair, still singing his song. 

“Thanks, Dad,” Peter’s sleep induced voice mumbled out, and Tony’s heart stuttered. 

He looked at Peter’s face and smiled. “No problem, Petey. I love you, kiddo.”


End file.
